Israel's U18 Basketball Team Advances to Quarterfinals with Historic Goals Ahead

Israel's under-18 national basketball team secured a significant victory on July 29, 2026, by defeating Denmark 100-86 in the round of 16 at the European Championship. This win guaranteed their place in the quarterfinals and ensured they remain in the top division. Their next opponent will be either Slovenia or Latvia, who were set to play later that day. A quarterfinal win would advance Israel to the semifinals against one of Serbia, Greece, Spain, or Bulgaria, with the final two teams to be decided by the end of the day.

The team, coached by Zilberstein, is pursuing two historic objectives. First, they aim to qualify for the Under-19 World Championship next summer, a milestone Israel has only reached once before. That previous qualification came in 2024 when the team, led by Omar Mayer and Ben Sharaf, finished fourth in the European Championship, marking Israel's best youth performance since 1972. To secure a World Championship spot this year, Israel must finish among the top five teams, which means reaching the semifinals or winning two classification games if they lose in the quarterfinals.

Achieving a place in the final or winning the third-place game after a semifinal loss would set a new record for the Israeli youth team, surpassing the historic 1972 achievement under coach Ralph Klein and player Miki Berkovich. The team’s progress is closely followed as it could mark a new high point in Israeli youth basketball history.